suburb.guide

NT · MacDonnell Council

Kaltukatjara, 0872

Est. population · Jun 2025

273

Growth (1 yr)

+0.4%

Growth (5 yr)

+1.5%

Median age

34

Median income

$1,374/wk

Employment rate

29.3%

University qualified

9.6%

Work from home

0%

Languages at home

88.8%non-English

Most common: Australian Indigenous languages

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

27.5/100
Below average

96th in NT

Verified 59% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Remote
What Kaltukatjara is known for: Remote

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Kaltukatjara, NT suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Kaltukatjara, NT Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/nt/kaltukatjara

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Suburb profile

Kaltukatjara is a remote locality in the Northern Territory, in MacDonnell Council. It is set against the Petermann Ranges and close to the Docker River.

The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places, placing it among the highest-ranked remote localities. Local amenities is an exceptional strength. University qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 109% above the peer median. The clearer weaknesses are limited health access and lower socio-economic advantage, with health access 50% below the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising walkability and local amenities over health access.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Remote locality · compared with remote localities in Northern Territory (174)

Strengths

  • The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places
  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Health-facility access is relatively limited
  • Socio-economic advantage is a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Large Aboriginal community with Indigenous languages spoken at home
  • Docker River
  • Petermann Ranges

Who it suits

  • FamiliesInsufficient data
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Kaltukatjara compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$65/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

273

+0.4% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

29.4%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#20

among Country & regional · Established

Pop. growth

32nd

percentile in NT

Rented dwellings

100%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
27.5/100 — Below average
National rank
6632nd in Australia
State rank
96th in NT
Peer rank
#20 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#36 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
59%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

273(June 2025)

+0.4% annual · +1.5% over 5 years · 32th percentile in NT

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.4%
5-year growth
+1.5%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+4
Growth rank in NT
32th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~250), extrapolated at -0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
229
Median age
34
Median household income / week
$1,374
Dwelling vacancy
29.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
20 of 68
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$65
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
0% / 0% / 100%
Employment rate
29.3%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
0% / 0% / 26.8%
Walked or cycled to work
64.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
45 / 5 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

9.6% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.4% across Northern Territory. 3.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified9.6% · 21.4% NT
  • Trade / vocational3.4% · 16.1% NT
  • Year 12 or below87% · 55% NT

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Society and culture34.3%
  • Education20%
  • Management and commerce20%
  • Engineering and related technologies17.1%
  • Health8.6%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$39,563

0th percentile in NT · -33% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$38,164

0th percentile in NT · -41% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
5.0%

0th percentile in NT · -64% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$6,179

0th percentile in NT · -90% vs Australia

Residents with business income
3.0%

6th percentile in NT · -71% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 0872 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
4,215
Taxpayers reporting net rent
214
Median net rent
-$2,724
Taxpayers reporting business income
115
Taxable income vs state median
-41%
Salary / wages vs state median
-47%
Rental investment vs state median
-64%
Super vs state median
-88%
Business income vs state median
-57%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NT, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

88.8% speak a language other than English at home; 3.7% born overseas

Language at home
24 English only · 190 other
Non-English at home
88.8%
Born overseas
8 (3.7%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
195 (85.2%)
Australian citizens
212
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Australian Indigenous languages89 · 100%

Religion

62%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 62%, while 9.2% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion9.2%38.1%
Christianity62%40.5%
Other / not stated28.8%21.5%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Lutheran55%2.3%
Catholic4.4%16.9%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

11 mapped amenities

1 supermarkets · 1 sports centres · 1 campgrounds · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
25/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Shopping(1)
  • Docker River Community StoreSupermarket
Everyday services(1)
  • Docker River Community StorePetrol station
Community(1)
  • Nyangatjatjara College - Docker River Primary CampusSchool
Health & services(1)
  • Kaltukatjara Health CentreClinic
Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Sports centre
  • Sports field
Camping & holiday parks(1)
  • Kaltukatjara CampgroundCampground
Entertainment(1)
  • Kaltukatjara Art CentreArts centre

    Lot 236

Other(1)
  • Social Facility (3)

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
0
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
36°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
Alice Springs Hospital (501.9 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
1
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 1
Aged-care services
1
Residential aged-care places
19

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

  • Kaltukatjara Health CentreClinic
Aged-care services
  • Tjilpi Pampaku Ngura Aged Care ServiceDOCKER RIVERNational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Program

Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
4
Participants per 1,000 residents
14.7

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
36° / 22°
Rainfall
211 mm · ~26 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
28° / 15°
Rainfall
104 mm · ~13 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
20° / 7°
Rainfall
53 mm · ~7 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
31° / 15°
Rainfall
106 mm · ~13 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via state planning hazard mapping. Flood cover uses inundation polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Lingiari
Member of Parliament
Marion SCRYMGOUR (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
76,817
Turnout (2025)
62.2%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+6.5 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 41.9%Labor 58.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 1204.0 km away).

Coalition 45.5%Labor 54.5%

3.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +6.7 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • LarapintaLabor 57.3% · Coalition 42.7% TPP (2025)497.6 km away
  • IlparpaLabor 36.2% · Coalition 63.8% TPP (2025)499.2 km away
  • GillenLabor 54.8% · Coalition 45.2% TPP (2025)500.8 km away
  • BraitlingLabor 53.2% · Coalition 46.8% TPP (2025)501.5 km away
  • Alice SpringsLabor 64.0% · Coalition 36.0% TPP (2025)502.3 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in MacDonnell Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile elsewhere in Northern Territory or interstate.